Just look who we’ve been friends with

The Western Mail’s report on the suggestion that Plaid received a donation from Colonel Gaddafi’s Libya in 1976 will bring condemnation from the two parties that have formed UK Governments.

They will claim Plaid built up a friendship and working relationship with an oppressive dictatorship that has persecuted its citizens and promoted terror. Those that say that will be a classic example of “the pot calling the kettle black”.

Both the Tories and Labour want to cosy up to two dictatorships that have suppressed and oppressed their citizens. Firstly China which in the Fifties invaded, occupied and absorbed the ancient country of Tibet. Just look at the government’s current attitude.

Secondly, Russia which following the end of the USSR invaded and persecuted the people of Chechnya following their referendum to become independent.

That’s not all: the UK’s friend Turkey regularly oppresses and suppresses the Kurds.

Then of course there is the exporting of arms and military equipment that has been used to bomb and kill innocent civilians in the Middle East and Africa.

Neil Taylor

Rhyl

Too many votes count for nothing

I was pleased to read the letter from WE Williams (Letters, September 28), making the case for a strong Welsh government.

Why should Wales, alone among the UK nations, be treated like a backward child unable to be trusted with its own pocket money?

But, please, no return to the first-past-the-post system of voting. When more than two parties are contesting, this is just cheating by another name and denies representation to large sections of the electorate.

And most of the so-called “winners” don’t even reach the “post” (i.e. 50% of the votes). Where is their mandate when a majority of their constituents actually voted against them?

Yes, our current system of voting is too opaque and needs reform, but if it lets in UKIP (repugnant as that party may be to most of us) it is because lots of people voted for it. We may not like the way people vote, but rigging elections is not the answer.

Chris Power

Newport

Taxpayers are being taken for a ride

Once again Carwyn Jones and his falsely titled “ministers” have shown their utter disdain for the Welsh electorate in their uninhibited spending on spurious expenses.

Jones hired a private aircraft to fly him to a Wales v England match and then on to a meeting in Glasgow at a cost to the taxpayer of £10,000.

In his twisted priorities sport came first and a meeting a poor second. It seems that as long as he is not footing the bill, even with his £174,000 salary, he is quite content to pass on all personal costs, however trivial.

How on earth did Ken Skates and Vaughan Gething run up a total of £6,500 for a trip to France?

Their duties lie within the principality, particularly Gething who is supposedly in charge of health and well-being.

K Clements

Swansea

Keen to experience student ‘hardship’

The students (you know, those poor people who rack up large sustenance loans, hardly any of which is repaid) are back and once again the streets of Cathays in Cardiff are crammed full of cars and young people staggering back from town in the early hours.

I read only the other day the average cost of running a car is around £4,000 a year.

Recently an independent review led by Sir Ian Diamond and a panel of experts has proposed paying Welsh students (through grants) the equivalent of the National Living Wage during term time while they study – a proposal endorsed by Education Secretary Kirsty Williams.

Do they take 60-year-olds? Thinking of giving up the job to do four years in media studies.

Mr G Morgan

Cardiff

‘Remainers’ just sound like bad losers

I’m astonished that John Childs (WM letters, September 26) wishes to have a second referendum on our membership of the EU.

This issue was settled by the British people at the historic “Independence Day” referendum on June 23, when the “Leave” side were victorious by nearly a million and a half votes across the UK.

Not only did Wales also support Brexit, but no less than 17 of the 22 Welsh local authority areas voted to leave the EU.

During the build-up to the 1997 Devolution Referendum I actively campaigned against the establishment of a Welsh Assembly. In spite of the tiny “Yes” majority being less than 7,000 votes across Wales, being a democrat I accepted the wishes of the Welsh people and have since endeavoured to support the development of that institution.

It’s about time that disgruntled “Remainers” accept the democratically expressed wishes of the British electorate and now seek to ensure that Brexit is a success. Anything else will leave them open to the accusation that they’re just bad losers.

Dr Felix Aubel

Vote Leave Co-ordinator for West Wales

Set targets to reduce pedestrian death toll

A new report shows that Britain has more pedestrian deaths per head of population than other leading countries.

The report from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety shows that, while Britain compares favourably with other countries for all road deaths, pedestrian deaths are significantly higher. It’s depressing to read that deaths among pedestrians are greater in Britain. Streets are where we live, work, play and socialise – they should be safe and enjoyable places for everyone.

We would like to see targets for reducing road casualties reintroduced. Such targets operated under successive governments from 1987 to 2010 and proved effective.

Road danger has far reaching public health consequences as it discourages people from being active. Inactivity currently costs the NHS in England and Wales more than £0.9bn a year. Investment from the Government to make our streets fit for walking will reduce these costs by helping us create a walking nation, reducing the risk of preventable illness.

Tompion Platt,

Head of Policy, Living Streets, London

Put the constituents first, not your party

Further to Michael Elias’ letter (Letters, September 28) and his praise for Llanelli’s Labour MP Nia Griffiths, I find his comments bemusing.

Mr Elias said: “She is a very competent politician, who has served Carmarthen, Llanelli and West Wales with distinction and will always, always put party and duty first when making difficult decisions.”

I would far rather have as an elected representative an MP who put the best interests of their constituents first, and definitely before party and duty, especially when making difficult decisions.

Rhidian Richard

Clydach, Swansea

A layer too many

We were told devolution in Wales would bring decision making closer to those it affected but, listening to the First Minister Carwyn Jones’ question time last week, it has achieved the exact opposite.

Local decisions which were previously decided by town/council/borough councillors are made by up to 60 (highly paid) Assembly Members whereas in fact only one is in any way concerned. These 60, backed up by an army of civil servants, are scratching around, trying to find something to do, which they know is duplicating what could be done by those with far greater experience or far greater local knowledge.

The Assembly is a layer of bureaucracy we could certainly manage without!